Electrochemical cells such as batteries are common sources of electrical power for many consumer, commercial, and industrial applications. Batteries are often purchased and stored for periods of time before being used. In addition, batteries may be periodically used in a device which may slowly drain energy from the electrochemical cell. During these periods of storage or low level usage, the potential energy stored in a battery dissipates. Therefore, a battery can have a finite usable life. Apparatus and methods can be utilized to allow for the periodic determination or estimation of the amount or percentage of potential energy remaining in a battery. Such a determination can assist a user of batteries in selecting a specific battery to use or in deciding when to replace a stored supply of batteries or remove a battery from a device in which it has previously been installed.
However, an issue in the market place is that apparatus and methods currently utilized to determine the potential energy in a battery, is not consumer friendly. Currently, the marketplace is lacking a display package that is interactive, allowing consumer to check a battery's potential energy without having to actually purchase the battery. Such an apparatus would efficiently allow consumers to pick and chose a product, and would allow both retailers and consumers to weed out those products that fail. A more efficient apparatus is noticeably absent from today's market.
What is needed therefore is a reliable manner in which a consumer can determine the available battery life of a device.